Introduction
Illumise is a niche pokémon in the tier capable of filling a multitude of roles varying from supportive to more defensive sets. Its wide toolkit with access to prankster giving it +1 priority on all status moves makes it a very strong supporting option in the metagame.
Prankster makes Illumise the best sun setter in the tier as it's guaranteed to get off a sunny day even on strong priority pokémon such as Scizor. Illumise has a very flexible stat spread with a respectable 85 speed stat meaning it can choose to go more fast, offensive or bulky, notably faster sets can use prankster moves before Scizor, and bulkier sets can survive a bullet punch after stealth rocks.
Why use Illumise
Illumise is a very powerful supporting pokémon, however it faces strong competition from the likes of Sableye who posses a much better typing of ghost/dark as compared to mono bug.. so why use Illumise? The answer is its movepool and statspread, Illumise has access to the very powerful move u-turn giving it access to a very reliable pivoting option providing safe switch ins for frail teammates such as charizard or heracross who appreciate the opportunity to come in without prediction potentially taking chip.
Illumise has access to much more supporting options than Sableye: aromatherapy is an option as an alternative to using heal bell Lanturn, providing the team with much needed status removal. Wish is another move that Illumise posseses, in conjunction with aromatherapy this allows Illumise to effectively fill the role of a cleric for the team healing up its teammates as an alternative to blissey. Illumise also posses defog, allowing it to function as removal for a team in a tier with few good options. As an option for more offensive playstyles, illumise has access to the move tailwind, providing its team with doubled speed for 4 turns, this can be particularly strong under the right circumstances as a cleaning option with teammates such as heracross and scizor, letting them be a lot more offensive without having to worry about threats such as rotoms overheat.
Illumise also posseses more disruptive options that serve to hinder the opponents team. Thunder wave is an option to slow fast offensive threats, however it doesn't see much usage due to the fact that it doesn't match up very well into the top tier threats such as Mamoswine, Heracross or Scizor as they are either immune to the move or don't care much about the speed drop. Encore is very strong into pokémon trying to set up, providing a free switch with u-turn to go into a pokémon that can threaten it's own setup, or even a ko. Toxic is an option to hinder more defensive counterplay such as mandibuzz or rotom-heat, as well as hurting mons trying to set up such as maushold, putting them in range of a bullet punch. Trick is another option in Illumises toolkit crippling defensive walls such as blissey or quagsire letting you open up teammates to setup.
Additionally, Illumise posseses the unique move of charm, which lowers the target's attack by 2, this coupled with a defensive stat spread is a strong option into physically leaning offensive teams, or as a good offense stopper. It is notably good against maushold, dhelmise and scizor, while being able to take on a heracross or mamoswine after a free switch in. Coupled with roost for recovery, this set notably counters megahorn variants of heracross. With a sableye as a teammate to counter stone edge variants of heracross, this gives your team a very strong backbone against physical threats for those who wish to partake in a more defensive playstyle, on this set rocky helmet is an option as an alternative to leftovers or heavy-duty-boots to inquire additional chip damage on these physical threats.
Finally, a set worth mentioning is choice specs, while not very good due to illumises base 73 special attack stat, it is a unique option coupled with tinted lens able to deal strong damage to switch ins, with u-turn for pivoting, air slash for common threats, bug buzz as a goood stab option, and giga drain to hit mons like lanturn or quagsire it can be an ok off-meta set. 85 speed being a very cramped range, speed tying heracross does not do Illumise any favors, however it is possible to make it work. Though generally braviary-hisui is a much stronger and more consistent special option.
In conclusion Illumise is a very strong off-meta supporting option in the tier with a myriad of possible sets able to act as potent glue for a team to help it in particular match ups or playstyles.
Written by Presi